Call center scripts can be an effective tool for agents to use during customer interactions. They provide agents with a structure on how to interact with customers and ensure important information is communicated consistently and accurately.
However, while they’re helpful, they can also become limiting if your agents begin to rely on them too much.
For agents, it’s all about knowing when to use call center scripts and when it’s time to push them aside and rely on instincts and empathy to guide customer interactions.
Should You Use Pre-Written Scripts?
Pre-written scripts are great tools for agents to use in customer interactions.
Here are some of the advantages:
- Consistency: They enable your agents to communicate the same information in a similar tone, so no matter who a customer speaks to, they’ll receive the same message and level of service.
- Accuracy: By following a script, an agent gives accurate information every time.
- Efficiency: When your team is overwhelmed with a lot of requests, scripts can be a valuable tool to help them save time on simple issues that can be solved quickly.
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, though—and that’s true with call center scripts when agents lean on them too heavily.
Here are some potential disadvantages to using call center scripts:
- Lack of flexibility: Complex situations often require deeper problem solving and more nuanced solutions.
- Lack of empathy: Scripts can feel inauthentic and impersonal, and agents lose the opportunity to build genuine connections with customers.
- Hinders growth opportunities: Agents don’t get better by repeating the same lines over and over again. They improve by navigating different situations, reflecting on what went well and what didn’t, and learning from these experiences.
So when exactly should you use call center scripts?
Here are a few signs that you might benefit from using pre-written scripts:
- You’ve just hired a lot of new agents, and you want to make sure they’re up to speed as quickly as possible.
- You want to standardize your customer service processes.
- Your customer satisfaction levels are low, and you want to implement using scripts to improve the customer experience.
- You want better workforce management, and providing your agents with a knowledge base that includes a list of scripts is one step in your improvement plan.
Where You Can Use Call Center Scripts
Your agents can use scripts on any channel they communicate with customers on. Here are some of the most common:
- Phone
- Website chatbox
- Social media chat
- SMS
- Video calls
Usually, one script can be adapted to multiple channels—you just need to tweak it for the specific channel you’re using.
For example, you wouldn’t want to use the exact same script for both phone calls and social media chats, as social media tends to be a less formal, more conversational platform for communication. Depending on your brand, you might want to add in some emojis when it’s fitting.
For SMS messages, you’d want your scripts to be shorter than the ones you’d use for email.
And for video scripts, make sure your agents aren’t actually staring at the script the entire time they’re on the call. The scripts should be pretty bare bones to encourage more flexibility and authentic interaction with the customer.
20 Scripts You Can (Legally) Steal
Not sure where to start with call center scripts?
Here are 20 scripts you can start using today, broken down into five different categories. Feel free to tweak them as needed. (In fact, we encourage this.)
General Use
Here are some general use scripts your call center agents can use. Remember, these are pretty basic, so you’ll want to personalize them to fit your brand.
Greetings
The key to a good greeting is to incorporate three essential elements: appreciation for the customer’s time, the agent’s name, and a question that will lead the caller to describe the reason why they’re calling. If you use CRM software that pulls up the caller’s name, you can include their name in the greeting to add a more personal touch.
“Thank you for calling [Company]! My name is [Name], and I’ll be assisting you today. How may I help you?”
“Good morning, thank you for calling [Company]. I’m [Name]. What can I do for you today?”
Ending a Call
Just like with a greeting, always end the call with a sincere thank you, and encourage the customer to call again in the future.
“Thank you for contacting [Company], and please call back anytime if there’s anything else we can assist you with.”
“Thank you again for calling [Company.] It was a pleasure assisting you. Please don’t hesitate to call again in the future. Have a great rest of your day.”
“I’m so glad we could help you today. Please reach out again if you have any issues. Have a wonderful rest of your day!”
Putting Someone on Hold
Putting someone on hold can be met with different reactions depending on the nature of the call. Some customers may be okay with it; some may not. Adding a quick apology and asking the customer if it’s okay with them can help ease the pain.
“I need to consult with a technical specialist so I can get this issue resolved for you. Do you mind if I put you on hold for just a few minutes?”
“I apologize, but I’ll need to put you on hold for just a few minutes. Would that be okay?”
Transferring a Call
With a call transfer, make sure the customer knows exactly what to expect. If there could be a delay between when the call is transferred from one agent to another, give them a heads up. And again, adding a thank you never hurts.
“I’m going to transfer you to [Department]. They will be able to assist you with your problem. Please stay on the line, and your call will be redirected immediately. Thank you for your patience!”
Customer Service
Here are some more scripts your call center agents can use if they provide customer service help:
Dealing with an Angry Customer
Whether or not your company is at fault, dealing with an angry customer requires empathy and tact. A good script should acknowledge and validate the customer’s feelings while making it clear you’re there to provide a solution.
“I hear you, [Customer’s Name], and I understand your frustration. I’d like to help you address this matter as promptly as possible.”
“I understand why you’re upset, and I’d like to work with you to come up with a resolution.”
Handling a Cancellation Request
Don’t be pushy here. Asking for a reason why they’re canceling is fine. You might even offer a discount if they continue service. But if it’s clear the customer wants to cancel, the foundation of a good script should make it easy for them.
“I’m sorry to hear you want to cancel your service. I will be more than happy to assist you with this process. May I ask the reason you’ve decided to cancel your subscription?”
Apologizing for a Mistake
Just like when you’re dealing with an angry customer, you should validate the customer’s feelings, apologize, and aim to come up with a good resolution.
“Please accept our apologies for this mistake, [Customer’s Name]. To make up for this inconvenience, let me offer you a discount on your next purchase.”
“I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you, and I appreciate the opportunity to make things right.”
Technical Troubleshooting
“Thank you for calling [Company]’s technical assistance team! My name is [Name], and I’m here to help you solve your issue as quickly as possible. To start, could you please describe the issue you’re having?”
“Good afternoon, I’m [Name]. What problem can we take care of for you today?”
Inquiry about a Product
“Thank you for your interest in [Product]! I’m more than happy to provide you with all the information you need. May I have your name, please?
Sales
If your call center agents handle sales, make sure you create compelling, persuasive scripts for them. Here are some examples:
Upsell
Upsells are an opportunity to help customers find better products and services that offer all the benefits of what they already purchase while also providing additional benefits. All scripts should be rooted in how the product will be beneficial to the customer. What does this higher-priced product have that the lower-priced one doesn’t?
“Great choice on [Lower-Priced Product]! If you will allow me, could I recommend [Upsell Product]? It allows you to [Benefit 1], [Benefit 2], and [Benefit 3].”
“Based on your purchase history, [Product] could be a great fit for you. It has all the benefits of [Lower-Priced Product] and also provides [List Benefits].”
Cross-sell
Just like upsells, cross-sells are an opportunity to offer your customers more benefits while increasing customer loyalty and selling additional goods and services. If you offer any kind of bundle discount, make sure to include this in the script.
“Thank you for purchasing [Product Name], our customers are always raving about it! If you don’t mind me asking, do you have a/n [Adjacent Product] for your [Product Name Category]? We have a special [Cross-sell Product] on sale, and they make for a great match! You can get it at [Discount Number] off by [Date].”
“Based on everything you’ve told me, [Product Name] could be a great complement to [Previous Purchase]. It’s perfect for [List Benefits]. Is this something you’d be interested in learning more about?”
Closing a New Customer
“Thank you for choosing [Company Name]! As promised, we’re here to support you every step of the way with any questions you have. We can’t wait to see how [Product Name] improves your daily life—please let me know if there’s anything I can do to make your onboarding smoother. You can contact me at [Provide Contact Info].”
Follow-up after a Sale
“Thank you for purchasing [Product Name] from us! We appreciate your business and wanted to make sure you’re happy with your purchase. Are there any questions I can answer for you?”
Subscription Renewal
“Hi [Name], this is [Name] from [Company]. I noticed your subscription is about to expire. I wanted to let you know that by renewing today, you can get [Discount] off the regular price. It’ll only take a few minutes. Would you like me to go ahead and process the renewal for you?”
Outreach
Running outreach campaigns? Here are some quick and effective scripts you can use:
Feedback Request
“Hi [Name], my name is [Name] and I work with [Company]. Do you have five minutes to answer a couple of quick questions? Your feedback is extremely valuable to us, as we constantly strive to improve our products/services. In return for your time, we will offer you a [Discount/ Incentive].”
Referral Request
“Hi [Name]! This is [Name] from [Company]. First of all, please let me thank you for being our loyal customer. In your latest feedback/review, you pointed out you enjoyed [Product/ Service], and I was wondering if you’d be interested in recommending it to your peers? We currently have a campaign going on for referrals: for each person you bring in, you’ll receive [Incentive]. What do you think?
Referral Outreach
“Hi [Name]! This is [Name] from [Company]. [Customer Name] referred you to us and thought you might love our products as much as they do! As a token of appreciation, we’d like to offer you [Incentive] off your first purchase. Would you like to hear more?”
Other Scenarios
Need more inspiration? Here are three more scripts your call center agents can use:
Processing a Transaction
“I’m now going to run your credit card for [Amount]. Please stay on the line, and I’ll provide you with a confirmation number once it goes through.”
Payment Issues
“I’m sorry to hear you’re experiencing difficulties with payment. Please allow me to assist you so we can fix this promptly. Could you please provide me with your account number?”
Late Payment
“Hi [Name]! This is [Name], I am calling from [Company]. Unfortunately, it seems there was an issue with your latest payment. Would you like to make payment arrangements today?”
How to Use Scripts Without Sounding Like a Robot
One main fear of using call center scripts is sounding too false and inauthentic. This can happen when agents don’t have enough freedom to personalize the script to sound more natural. It can also occur when you put too much weight on the words themselves and not enough on tone and delivery.
To avoid sounding like a robot while using scripts, here are some tips:
- Encourage agents to use their own voice. Once they gain a bit of experience, they can even tweak the scripts to sound more like they would in a normal, day-to-day conversation.
- Use scripts as training tools, not as a permanent solution. New employees should be trained using scripts, but after their onboarding is complete, take off the training wheels and encourage them to lean on their own knowledge and empathy when handling calls.
- Personalize each script to fit your brand. Generic scripts are just a start. You should tailor each script with your company’s specific products, services, and overall brand image.
- Don’t forget to train agents on their overall tone and delivery. It’s not just about what they say; it’s how they say it. Tone can make all the difference in making a repeatable script feel like a personalized message.
- Create an easily accessible knowledge base for your scripts. Nothing screams they’re just talking from a script more than awkward breaks agents take to shuffle through the available scripts to find the right one.
Poor Script Examples and How to Fix Them
Placing the Blame on the Customer
“I understand your situation, [Name]. However, it looks like you [Describe action customer took to cause the issue.]”
Even if the customer was at fault, pointing it out isn’t going to fix anything, especially if the customer already knows they did something wrong.
A better alternative is to acknowledge their issue and offer assistance in both fixing it and preventing it from happening again:
“I understand and want to help, [Name]. Let’s see how we can fix this issue and prevent it from occurring again in the future.”
Shrugging Shoulders
“I don’t know what to say, [Name]. I can consult the manual and call you back.”
Not only does this show a lack of respect for your customer’s time, but it also makes your business look unprofessional. You should always try to help the customer on their first call, even if that means putting them on hold to get help. If you absolutely have to put the phone down and contact them later, be sure you’re crystal clear about the timing.
Here’s a better alternative to moments when you just don’t know the answer:
“Thank you for relaying your problem to me, [Name]. Is it okay if I put you on hold for just a few minutes to make sure I direct you to the right solution?”
Call center scripts are not an exact science, so feel free to adapt all the advice and examples in this article to fit your specific use case.
The most important thing is that your agents know when to use the script and when to put it down and rely on their own instincts to navigate a call.